The Significance of SPSS/PC

&dquo;Say, did you see that they now have SPSS for microcomputers?&dquo; Colleague after colleague approaches these days with just that question, enthusiastically implying that the microcomputer has suddenly come of age. It is abundantly clear that the mere announcement of SPss/pc has done a great deal to promote the use of small computers. Indeed, the immediate significance of spsslpc lies in its legitimation of microcomputers in social research. Like the IBM Personal Computer, SPSS/PC has all the advantages of a huge user community, tradition, and extraordinary name recognition. But also like the !BM PC, SPSS/PC is a conservative and expensive approach to personal computing. Before investing in necessary hardware and software, microcomputer users would do well to consider some of the points below.